Family: Poaceae

Melinis repens (Natal grass) is an annual or perennial grass native to Africa and widely naturalized throughout the world. in Hawai’i it is naturalized in disturbed, usually dry areas, including urban and agricultural land, dry shrubland, dry forest, and subalpine forest, 0-1,950 m, on Midway Atoll and all the main islands. Its seeds are carried by wind, and can also be dispersed attached to clothing, fur, or stuck in mud. Where invasive, it may form dense cover that excludes other vegetation and can increase fire risk by accumulating large amounts of dead biomass.

High Risk Traits:

• Broad elevation range
  
• Widely naturalized including all the main Hawaiian Islands
  
• A weed of disturbed sites that may impact crops and natural areas
  
• Other Melinis species are invasive weeds
  
• Pollen is allergenic to some people
  
• Increases fire frequency and risk
  
• Tolerates many soil types
  
• Able to form dense stands
  
• Reproduces by seeds
  
• Autogamous (capable of self-fertilization)
  
• Annual or perennial, capable of reproducing in the first year of growth
  
• Seeds dispersed by wind, attached to clothing, fur, mud, as a contaminant in agricultural produce (i.e. fodder and pasture seed) and sometimes through intentional cultivation
  
• Prolific seed production
  
• May form a persistent seed bank
  
• No natural enemies or limiting factors in the Hawaiian Islands

Low Risk Traits:

• Unarmed (no spines, thorns, or burrs)
  
• Palatable, but of low grazing value
  
• Non-toxic
  
• Grows best in high light environments (dense shade may inhibit spread)
  
• Not reported to spread vegetatively
  
• Herbicides may provide effective control